NCJ Number
182535
Date Published
1997
Length
9 pages
Annotation
This paper, which constitutes notes for an address to the Office of the Attorney General of Thailand, provides an overview of Canadian legislation designed to protect children from various forms of abuse and exploitation.
Abstract
Canada signed the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1990 and ratified it in 1991. Article 19 of the Convention identifies the protection against abuse and neglect as a basic right of children. This encompasses all forms of abuse, including physical, sexual, and emotional, as well as the neglect of children. It also covers all kinds of interventions in all sectors. Other articles that expand on this general article are Article 34 on the right to protection from sexual abuse and exploitation, including child prostitution and child pornography; Article 35, which deals with the prevention of child abduction and the sale of or traffic in children; and Article 36, regarding the protection of children from all other forms of exploitation prejudicial to the child's welfare. Other articles require that measures be taken to ensure that these protections will be respected in law and practice in the child's best interests. The Convention also provides for children's rights in the area of youth justice, so that young offenders are dealt with differently from adults when they are accused or convicted of crimes. Other pillars of the Convention call for recognition of children's rights to express their views and to be heard, as well as to have time and places for leisure activities. This paper describes how Canada has sought to implement the mandates of this Convention on the Rights of the Child and encourages other countries to act accordingly.